The shift killed Dunn. I've actually never seen it work so well against a hitter.

Dunn being bad doesn't excuse Konerko from also being bad. PK had trouble getting the ball out of the infield.

All the more reason why the "Hulk Smash" approach to hitting needs some refiining. Hell, I wanted to see him lay down a few bunts to the left side when the shift was on until they adjusted. With his all-or-nothing approach, defenses had no reason to adjust.

__________________"I have the ultimate respect for White Sox fans. They were as miserable as the Cubs and Red Sox fans ever were but always had the good decency to keep it to themselves. And when they finally won the World Series, they celebrated without annoying every other fan in the country." Jim Caple, ESPN (January 12, 2011)

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All the more reason why the "Hulk Smash" approach to hitting needs some refiining. Hell, I wanted to see him lay down a few bunts to the left side when the shift was on until they adjusted. With his all-or-nothing approach, defenses had no reason to adjust.

If Dunn had bunted for a few hits to beat the shift, the shift would have ended.

If Dunn had bunted for a few hits to beat the shift, the shift would have ended.

No, it wouldn't have. A big reason Dunn has over 1000 walks in his career is because pitchers are scared he is going to hit the ball 500 feet. If pitchers are not scared to put Dunn on base via base on balls, they will definitely not be scared to put Dunn on base via bunt. Bunting essentially takes away Dunn's main strength as a hitter- putting runs on the board with one swing.

I have absolutely no problem with him driving the ball opposite field. There is no excuse for him not trying this more often. His opposite field swing isn't bad at all, and it does not limit him to a single.

No, it wouldn't have. A big reason Dunn has over 1000 walks in his career is because pitchers are scared he is going to hit the ball 500 feet. If pitchers are not scared to put Dunn on base via base on balls, they will definitely not be scared to put Dunn on base via bunt. Bunting essentially takes away Dunn's main strength as a hitter- putting runs on the board with one swing.

I have absolutely no problem with him driving the ball opposite field. There is no excuse for him not trying this more often. His opposite field swing isn't bad at all, and it does not limit him to a single.

The shift is only exagerated on the infield. The shft only addresses singles. Outfielders shade Dunn to pull, but they don't put on an exaggerated shift. I would guess Dunn reached base on about three-quarters of his line drives, even with the infield clustered on the first base side of second base. If he hits line drives, it doesn't really matter what field he hits them to.

Dunn only lost singles hitting into the shift. Maybe a few doubles, but they would have been doubles he would have had to run out. That is all defenses are defending against when they employ the shift. If Dunn hits ground balls down the third base line, teams would adjust their defenses accordingly.

It is true, though, that if he is trying to hit to hit to the opposite field, he isn't trying to hit a home run. But often when he is trying to hit a home run, he is striking out.

Lets say it more simply. If Dunn is going to strike out 200 times, he needs to hit 50 HRs and 40+ doubles.

__________________The universe is the practical joke of the General at the expense of the Particular, quoth Frater Perdurabo, and laughed. The disciples nearest him wept, seeing the Universal Sorrow. Others laughed, seeing the Universal Joke. Others wept. Others laughed. Others wept because they couldn't see the Joke, and others laughed lest they should be thought not to see the Joke. But though FRATER laughed openly, he wept secretly; and really he neither laughed nor wept. Nor did he mean what he said.

See my earlier reply. He needs to hit for higher average and/or more extra base hits. So many strikeouts, plus a lack of productive outs, plus such a low average, plus his defensive limitations, limits his effectiveness.

He didn't come close to that this year, and he was a miserable failure. Suggesting that he would be a failure even if he put up Miguel Cabrera numbers misrepresents the position of those who would prefer he didn't create a black hole in the White Sox lineup, which is exactly what a player who hits less than .220 and strikes out more than 220 in a season presents.